The University of Chicago Medicine has decided to build a Level 1 adult trauma center at its medical center campus in Hyde Park. This will ensure Chicago's South Side community has access to comprehensive adult trauma care.

In September 2015, University of Chicago Medicine and Sinai Health System announced a proposed partnership to offer Level 1 adult trauma care at Holy Cross Hospital, part of Sinai's network. While both entities were enthused about creating a unique collaborative approach, UChicago Medicine concluded that integrating an adult Level 1 trauma center with its Level 1 pediatric trauma program and Burn and Complex Wound Center would be of great benefit to South Side patients.

"From the very beginning, what has mattered most is making sure that patients have access to the highest level of trauma care where the needs are great," said Karen Teitelbaum, president and CEO of Sinai Health System. "Ultimately, we are gratified that trauma care will be restored in an area of Chicago that is in urgent need of these services. We offer UChicago Medicine our support and more than two decades of Sinai's Level 1 trauma care expertise as it moves forward with its plans, and look forward to continued collaborations in many facets of clinical care that our institutions have long shared."

UChicago Medicine also announced plans to expand its emergency department and increase inpatient beds to address current capacity constraints and improve access to care. UChicago Medicine will request additional hospital beds for specialty care such as cancer, trauma and emergency services.

"We deeply value our relationship with Sinai Health System and its enormous contributions to the network of care in Chicago," said Sharon O'Keefe, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center. "We recognize Sinai's experience and excellence in trauma care. At the end of the day, we realized that integrating all of these services on one site, on our campus, made the most sense for South Side patients."

About the University of Chicago MedicineThe University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences is one of America's leading academic medical institutions. It comprises the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and University of Chicago Medical Center. In addition to being a non-profit teaching and research facility, it provides distinct services to the community, including the South Side's only burn unit and pediatric trauma center, a neonatal intensive care unit, comprehensive emergency departments for adults and children, and the city's only hospital-based emergency helicopter service. For more information: uchospitals.edu